The present invention is generally directed to cartridges, such as particle or liquid dispenser containers, and more specifically, to communicating cartridges, that is, xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d toner and replenisher cartridges and similar intelligent articles or devices, and printing systems and printing processes incorporating the intelligent cartridges. The cartridges of the present invention can be adapted to provide value-added features and enhanced performance capabilities to known stand-alone, clustered, and net-worked printing devices. The present invention also relates to communicating cartridges which are capable of providing a customer, a user, or an operator with useful or helpful marketing oriented informational messages, for example, a promotional message or messages, or a reorder message or messages, and combined informational and promotional messages, or multiple messages. The present invention also relates to communicating cartridges which are capable of providing a customer or user-operator with useful or helpful cartridge handling or installation oriented informational messages, for example, instructions for shaking or agitating the cartridge for a proper or prescribed time duration or in a particular fashion, or additionally or alternatively, provide a user or an operator with a signal or equivalent message that the cartridge has been properly activated, for example, by removal of a protective seal or seals, or by sufficient agitation of the cartridge contents, such as a developer, to permit proper installation of the cartridge in a machine and to assure proper machine operation. The present invention also relates to communicating cartridges which are capable of providing an appropriately configured printing or copying machine, for example, with information about the contents of the cartridge, with information about the readiness state of the cartridge contents, or with information about the suitability or compatibility of a particular cartridge with a particular printing or copying machine, for example, a machine adapted to receive a message or signal information from an intelligent cartridge of the present invention. The present invention also relates to a system for controlling replaceable modules, also known as xe2x80x9ccustomer replaceable unitsxe2x80x9d or CRUs, for example in a digital printing apparatus, such as a digital electrophotographic printer or copier. These and other embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein.
In a typical electrostatographic printing system, a light image or digital image of an original to be reproduced is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles which are commonly referred to as toner. The visible toner image is then in a loose powdered form and can be easily disturbed or destroyed. The toner image is usually fixed or fused upon a support which may be the photosensitive member itself or another support sheet such as plain paper. Other related marking technologies are known, for example, liquid immersion development, and solid or liquid ink jet imaging technologies wherein a liquid, solid, molten, sublimed, and the like marking formulations are deposited onto an imaging member, imaging intermediate member, or image receiver and wherein the marking or imaging material is typically conveniently packaged for end-user or operator installation. Thus it is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the present invention are readily adaptable to other marking formulations and other marking materials, and related consumable materials, such as, replenishers, photoreceptors, fuser rolls, backer rolls, fuser oils, cleaning formulations, papers or transparency stock, such as high quality or specialty receivers, xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d-shirt transfers, and the like machine consumable materials.
In embodiments, the communicating cartridges and the like intelligent packaging of the present invention provides unexpected benefits and superior satisfaction levels to end-use customers or operators, for example, in facilitating positive use experience and avoiding negative use or xe2x80x9ctroublexe2x80x9d experience, for example, avoiding materials waste or machine damage or downtime and productivity losses associated therewith that results from wrong or improper consumables selection or installation. These and other advantages of the present invention are illustrated herein.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,918, issued Nov. 26, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,108, issued Feb. 7, 1995, both to Crowell, there is disclosed an integrated circuit constructed for recording, retaining, and delivering an audible message upon demand and securely retaining the circuit means in a housing, a unique, multi-purpose, audible message delivery system is attained for use either independently or in cooperative relationship with a plurality of alternate products. In the preferred embodiment, the integrated circuit is constructed to provide ease of message re-recording upon demand. In this way, any desired message can be substituted for an existing message whenever desired. As a result, repeated use of the audible message delivery system is realized, with the system being used independently or in association with other products, such as picture frames, medicine packages, folders, notebooks, etc. In this way, specific messages can be easily transmitted between individuals in a manner previously unattainable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,594, issued Jun. 20, 1995, to Wright, et al., there is disclosed an electronic greeting card communication system (100) which includes a first personal communicator (102), an electronic mail server (136), and a second personal communicator (102). The first personal communicator accepts off-line selection of an electronic greeting card from a user (502), and then transmits a request message corresponding to the off-line selection. The electronic mail server (136) receives the request message and then wireless transmits an electronic greeting card message to the second personal communicator (102) and updates billing information (620) for billing the user of the first personal communicator (102). The second personal communicator (102) selectively receives the wireless transmitted electronic greeting card message and presents it to a user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,035, issued Jul. 18, 1995, to Bauer, there is disclosed an entertainment card device such as a baseball trading card or a music rock star trading card comprising a flat, rectangular card including a touch sensitive element for sound activation. Replaceable electrical power batteries are mounted within the card. The touch sensitive element is activated by simply touching a surface area of the front side of the flat rectangular card. The entertainment card device further includes entertainment pictures such as of sports figures or music rock star images.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,558, issued Apr. 26, 1983, to Bearden, there is disclosed a talking greeting card with a front display panel and overlapping rear panels adapted to lie substantially flat in one configuration. The front panel may be bowed in convex shape and held in such second configuration by tabs which secure the rear panels together in tension. A flexible sound record strip extends through a slot in the bowed front panel and has a surface prepared to produce sounds when a sliding element, such as the thumb nail of a user, moves along the surface. The sound is amplified by the bowed front wall and overlapping rear walls which act as a sound amplifier.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,767, issued Aug. 22, 1995, to Goetcheus, et al., there is disclosed systems and methods for recording and delivering personalized audio messages. The system includes a central facility computer system (CF), a store front programming system (SFS), and a portable playback device (PPD). When a customer desires to send a personalized message to another person, the customer communicates via a telecommunications channel with the CF. Under control of a CF processor, a outgoing message module of the CF provides instructions to the customer, who enters required information and provides the personalized audio message. The personalized audio message is digitized by a CF voice digitizer and transmitted from the CF via a data interface to the SFS. The SFS receives the digitized personalized audio message data from the CF and uses its playback device programmer to program data representing the audio message onto the PPD. The PPD is an audio chip having a nonvolatile memory, an external switch, a battery and a speaker. When the switch is pressed, the data representing the audio message stored in the memory is sent to the speaker (via a D/A converter where the data is digital) where a facsimile of the original audio message is heard.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,465, issued Mar. 19, 1996, to Manico, there is disclosed a talking picture frame that includes a pressure-sensitive switch which, when activated, e.g., by lifting the frame from a frame-supporting surface, electrically energizes an audio system housed within the frame to playback a prerecorded personal message which augments the visual information represented by a framed picture. Preferably, the switch includes a plunger-type switch actuator which normally extends downwardly from the bottom edge of the frame. When the bottom edge of the frame is resting on a supporting surface, e.g. a table top, the weight of the frame, in cooperation with the supporting surface, moves the actuator, against a spring force, to a retracted position in which no electrical power is provided to the audio system. When the frame is lifted, the switch actuator moves through a position in which a control signal is produced which initiates playback of the recorded message. Preferably, the switch actuator is movably mounted on the frame so as to extend outwardly from either of two different edges of the frame, whereby the actuator can be engaged and moved to its retracted position by the frame-supporting surface whether the frame is supported in a landscape or portrait orientation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,429, issued May 18, 1999, to Hornstein, et al., there is disclosed an audio label comprising a circuit board substrate with a sound-generating microchip and a photovoltaic cell both attached to the substrate such that the microchip is electrically connected to the photovoltaic cell so that power is provided to the sound-generating microchip. A sound reproduction unit is also attached to the substrate and is connected to the sound-generating microchip communicates signals to the sound reproduction unit which are then converted by the sound reproduction unit to audible sounds. A system for audio label operation is also disclosed. The system includes a separate transmitter which transmits electromagnetic waves, such as light, infrared or radio waves to one or more audio labels which have electromagnetic wave receiving circuit elements, such as phototransistors disposed thereon. The transmitter thus sends wave signals to each label each of which then converts the wave signals to electric signals which each sound reproduction unit then converts to audible sounds.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,088, issued Oct. 2, 1990, to Gilliland, et al., there is disclosed a monitor/warranty system for electrostatographic reproducing machines in which replaceable cartridges providing a predetermined number of images are used, each cartridge having an EEPROM programmed with a cartridge identification number that when matched with a cartridge identification number in the machine enables machine operation, a cartridge replacement warning count, and a termination count at which the cartridge is disabled from further use, the EEPROM storing updated counts of the remaining number of images left on the cartridge after each print run.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,875, issued Jul. 25, 1989, to Tanimoto, there is disclosed an image forming apparatus including a main body and a processing unit detachably mounted in the main body. The processing unit includes at least one of an image bearing member and developing device. The number of image forming repetitions of the processing unit are counted by a counter in the main body. When the counted number for the processing unit reaches a reference value representing the effective life of the processing unit, an alarm device actuates to notify the user that the effective life of the processing unit has been reached.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,773, issued Dec. 14, 1999, to Murray, et al., there is disclosed an ink jet printer cartridge which includes a memory storage element mounted on a side surface thereof. The memory storage element stores information about ink expelled from the cartridge. The information is routed from the memory storage element to an external device, and the user may be warned when cartridge replacement is advisable.
The aforementioned references are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. There remains a need for smart or machine intelligent toner and developer cartridges that enhance customer satisfaction, improve operator convenience and efficiency, and further printer or copier reliability and print quality. The communicating cartridges of the present invention are useful in electrophotographic imaging processes and apparatuses, especially color and digital applications.
Embodiments of the present invention, include:
An article comprising:
a container with an opening which container is adapted to accommodate and dispense the contents therefrom;
a closure in contact with the container; and
a signal module in communication with the closure;
An article comprising:
a container with an opening which container is adapted to accommodate and dispense the contents therefrom;
a closure in contact with the container;
a signal module in communication with the closure; and
a transmitter module adapted to send a signal or signals from the signal module to a receiver module resident in a target printing machine; and
A method of operating a printing apparatus comprising:
providing a subsystem in the apparatus, the subsystem being disposed in a module which is separable from the apparatus, the module having permanently associated therewith an electronically-readable memory;
polling the electronically-readable memory of the module for compatibility information prior to the installation and use of the module in the apparatus; and
comparing the compatibility information of the module with compatibility information resident in an electronically-readable memory in the printing apparatus.
These and other embodiments of the present invention are illustrated herein.